America is late to this dance

3:03 PM,
May 17, 2013

Written by

Chris Dixon
FROM THE LEFT

The National Institutes of Health estimated that nearly one in five Americans has a diagnosable mental health condition at any given time. These issues can range from mild depression to bipolar disorder. Some are inherited tendencies, and others can be caused by external events such as the trauma of war and common life situations. Why some people are affected and others are not remains quite puzzling.

President Obama's recent request for $100 million in seed funding to spur advanced brain research is a good start at answering this question. Republican congressional leaders Eric Cantor ...